


In Servitude

by steak_sandwich



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: AU, M/M, and opal fairy godmother yeee, basically a cinderella au with creative licence lol, bede is a little shit also aged up for this au, changed around a bit, i like writing rose actually, prince raihan yeyeye, villains are fun to write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:41:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22352767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steak_sandwich/pseuds/steak_sandwich
Summary: "Please.. Remember that no matter how hard it gets, smile through it all, and be kind to everyone."The moment his father died, everything crumbled.Leon falls into a life of servitude at the age of 13 at the behest of the Tax Collector Rose and ends up living in complete and utter misery, only getting by knowing that it's at least lifting a weight off of his mother's shoulders.When he meets the mischievous apprentice, Rai, though, he finds himself genuinely smiling again.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 27
Kudos: 197





	1. Changes

**Author's Note:**

> God I need to stop writing new multi-chapter fics but the moment this idea hit me I couldn't stop thinking about it so I completely apologise in advance.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Gonna try and write a chapter daily if possible.
> 
> ps. i'm bad at writing lengthy chapters sorry

Every day Leon made an effort to get up early from the moment his father finally relented and told him that he could go with him to Turffield, and every day he completely and utterly failed to wake up to the alarm.  
The more it happened, the more he assumed that his father had left earlier than usual, or simply just turned his alarm off sneakily and let him sleep in with the illusion that he had just slept through it.

This day was no different, and frankly he was tired of hiding the frustration, audibly stomping down the stairs when he realised he'd already been left behind.  
He _wanted_ to follow in his father's footsteps and take over the farm, even if the commute was a downside, but he had always told him he was destined for greater things, whatever that meant.

He joined his toddler brother and mother at the table as they ate their way through breakfast, making no effort to keep his bad mood under wraps, as petulant as it was.  
He still had the right to throw tantrums now and then, after all, given his age.  
"Porridge _again?_ " He muttered, scooping it up and letting it slop back into the bowl.

His mother simply offered him a patient, apologetic smile.  
"It's all we're able to afford right now, my dandelion."

It was enough to appease him, because even as grumpy as he was the last thing he enjoyed was making his mother feel guilty, or upsetting her.  
Still, he hesitated as he took another spoonful and stuffed it into his mouth, swallowing it before he could taste any of the lukewarm oats, shuddering visibly at the sensation.

He glanced over at Hop, and he couldn't help but envy him as he scarfed down the porridge.  
Usually young children were fussy eaters, but he absolutely _loved_ the stuff, for some reason.  
He couldn't help but smile at the mess on his face, maybe it was easier to eat it if most of the contents didn't even get into your mouth in the first place.  
He gently took the spoon out of his tiny hand and scooped up the porridge on his chin before feeding him and wiping off the excess, smiling more as he gurgled happily.  
"Lee! Lee!"  
"That's right! Clever boy." He praised, petting his hair before eyeing up his own bowl with dread once more.  
He took a deep breath and, taking a leaf out of Hop's book, just _shoveled_ the rest down as hastily as possible.  
Somehow he managed to keep it down.

His mother smiled at the pair proudly, overcome with so much affection for the two she hadn't even realised she was staring until she eventually snapped out of it.  
"Why don't you take Hop outside to play, Lee? I have some things to do in here."

It wasn't often he was let off doing jobs around the house, so he took up the offer before she could change her mind and carefully lifted Hop into his arms.  
"Ok!"  
"And stay away from the-"  
"Slumbering Weald. I know, I know." He muttered, rolling his eyes before retreating outside.

There wasn't an awful lot to do in Postwick, and although he was happy to be let outside without doing any jobs first, he almost immediately regretted the decision because there wasn't a lot Hop could do with him at one years old.

He settled for watching him pluck grass from the lawn, putting a stop to his countless attempts to eat it when he saw someone approaching their house and knocking on the door from the distance.  
He felt an unease in the pit of his stomach, he'd never seen the man before but he still had some kind of _feeling_ that for whatever reason he'd arrived at their door, in that moment, there was nothing good about it.  
Especially as his mother let him linger on the doorstep.  
Especially as the two constantly glanced over in his direction as they conversed.  
Especially as his mother started _crying._  
As much as he wanted to run over there to console her, he felt rooted to the spot, unable to move.  
Was this some kind of fear? He didn't know.  
Whatever it was that had upset his mother, he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out.

And she didn't prompt him to come in either, even as the sky began to turn dark.  
It was then that it hit him what was amiss.  
_Why wasn't his father home yet?_  
Something stirred in him then, whether it was courage or an eagerness to know what was going on, but he picked up Hop and made his way back indoors.

"What happened?" He asked, panic set in his voice.  
His mother looked even more _distraught_ up close.  
"It... It's your father." She managed.  
"There's been an accident."

-

Two years had gone by since his father had passed, and it didn't get any easier.  
Something in the back of his mind told him constantly that it was his fault that he'd died, if he hadn't continuously pressed him into taking him along, then he wouldn't have been so worn out, he would still be here.  
No matter how many reassurances he received from his mother, it still didn't make it any easier.  
Yet he would still smile through it all, even as painful as it continued to be.

He could tell day by day that his mother was struggling, not only emotionally, but financially too.  
Every month some man would come knocking and seep away another portion of her savings, and it filled Leon with such ire, especially knowing that he could do nothing to help.  
Yet she would always smile at him, tell him to take Hop upstairs the moment he came a-knocking once more.  
And every time he would listen.

He glanced at the cuckoo clock on the wall and grimaced the moment it struck on the hour and a Pidgey sprung out, alerting them to the impending doom on the other side of the door.  
He waited with bated breath and exhaled the moment the rap sounded on the door again.  
" _Mother-"_ He began.  
"Take Hop upstairs dear" She interjected, giving that same empty smile once again.  
_Can you afford it this time?_ Is what he wanted to say, but he couldn't get the words out before the impatient knock sounded a second time, and he hastily ushered Hop up the stairs, sitting on the landing this time as he heard the door open below.

"Good morning, as you are aware I'm here to collect your taxes."  
"Yes.. Mr.. Rose was it?" She replied.  
Leon couldn't see anything from his position, but he could hear the sounds of footsteps pacing around the room, silence, then shuffling again.  
"...This is not nearly enough."  
"What? It's all right there."  
"Yes. But the taxes have risen now, I'm afraid."

Leon gritted his teeth in anger, he could just _hear_ the smugness in his man's voice.

"Then... I don't know..." She replied, defeated.  
Another moment of silence, deliberation.  
"Then how about that Wooloo in the garden in addition to the money? That should suffice."  
"What- No!"  
"...You're testing my patience here, woman."

He couldn't take it anymore, and there was no way he was letting the bastard have Hop's Wooloo, especially as it was his father's.  
Something in him snapped right then and he practically lunged down the stairs, fully intending to hurt the asshole, only completely failing in the process.

"I'm not letting you take _anything._ " He spat, standing in between the man and his mother, ignoring the threatening vibe he was emanating.  
He simply gave Leon the once-over and smirked, smug, triumphant.  
"Aren't you feisty. Unfortunately I can't leave without pittance."  
Leon felt unease as he gave him another look over, what was he thinking?  
He hummed in deliberation before throwing out his proposition.  
"If you come with me and work under me, then I will simply pay off your family's monthly taxes and leave them alone."  
_What?_  
It seemed too good to be true, but he knew that there was barely any other option, especially as his mother couldn't earn enough to make ends meet.  
At least it would be a mouth less to feed, too.

He hated the man, but he was starting to consider it.  
"Lee, you don't have to do this. We'll think of something... I'll sell my jewellery-"  
She was tearful, desperate, reaching out to keep a hold of him.  
" _Mother..._ " He couldn't find the words.  
"As touching as this is I'll have to hurry you before I change my mind." Rose interjected, tapping his foot in annoyance.  
He worried his lip between his teeth and took a step back from his mother.  
"I'm sorry, but it'll be better for you and Hop if I do this... I love you both."  
He was struggling to hold it together, it was a lot of weight to bear, but he knew it was the right thing to do.  
And he burst into tears as his mother held his face one more time.  
" _Lee, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... for failing you."_  
She moved to his ear and lowered her voice to a whisper.  
_"Please.. Remember that no matter how hard it gets, smile through it all, and be kind to everyone."_

He committed those words to memory, especially as it was the last thing she could say before he was dragged to the carriage nearby. 

He didn't even get to say goodbye to his beloved brother.


	2. To Hammerlocke

Although he'd never had the privilege of being able to ride in a carriage before, he just couldn't find any enjoyment in it and instead picked out all the negatives of this particular method of transport.  
There was nothing safe about it at all, judging by the amount of times it rocked everytime significantly large debris went under the wheels.  
It wasn't precisely a large carriage either, making for the space around him to be more confining, almost chlaustrophobic.  
Instead of making idle chat with the man he despised more than anything, he proceeded to glance outside the window of the carriage, and, although small, it offered sights he could never even dream of seeing had he not left Postwick.

He did have questions about where they were going and what kind of place it was, not to mention what exactly Rose's intentions were for taking him back with him, but he much preferred keeping his curiosities to himself until the topics presented themselves.

He'd find out soon enough where they were going anyway.

The journey otherwise was pretty dull, and he found himself wishing they could have flown over instead given how much time had passed.  
It would have also afforded him more time to explore his surroundings, though he was fairly sure this new life wouldn't exactly be one of leisure.  
Would he even have anymore freedom?

Despite the journey being long-winding, he was taken by surprise when he felt himself jolt forward all of a sudden as a result of falling asleep, taking note that the carriage had come to a standstill as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes, peering outside the window once more to surmise whether they'd reached their destination yet.

He could guess that, no, they hadn't, going by Rose's complaints as he pushed open the door of the carriage and stepped outside to inspect the cause of the delay.  
"Wait here." He ordered, his voice laced with all the annoyance that was already evident in his facial features.  
As much as he wanted to use this as an opportunity to escape and return to Postwick there and then, he put an end to the intrusive, cowardly thoughts almost immediately and stared at his feet while he waited.  
 _You're doing this for them..._

He was sure that he wouldn't last for a second in the Wild Area without a Pokemon by his side, anyway.

While he was considering his options, Rose had already climbed back into the carriage and it had begun to move once more.  
Leon could somehow feel his eyes on him from the moment he set foot back inside, and although he did his best to ignore it, he finally relented and glanced up to meet his gaze.

_How he wished he could wipe that smug smile off his face, maybe one day..._

"We should nearly be there." He announced, unprompted.  
Leon bit back the expletives he _wanted_ to say and instead nodded before glancing back outside once more before the sky completely darkened and he could no longer see anything.

-

The looming towers of Hammerlocke were unlike anything Leon had ever seen in his life, and he couldn't even fathom it that such monuments could even exist in the world in which he lived, there was definitely a lot of exploring he needed to do while here, but whether he could do that at all was another matter.  
Nevertheless he found himself standing at the foot of a statue that would no doubt be impressive to an adult much less a child.  
The statue towered over his small frame, but it didn't daunt him at all, he was filled with complete fascination and wonder as he traced the scripture at the base of it with his fingers.

"Stop zoning out and follow me, brat." Rose snapped, having been through this with him at least five times now.  
Leon didn't care, he just couldn't shake off the awe he was feeling being in this new environment.  
When he stopped and stared at his surroundings for the sixth time, however, it was enough to tip Rose over the edge and grab at his wrist and drag him the rest of the way.

"I am _tired._ This isn't a holiday." He chided.  
"You're hurting me!" Leon bit back in complaint, struggling against his firm hold.  
The more he struggled, the tighter the grip got around his wrist, though, so he finally gave in and ceased fighting against him the rest of the way.  
 _I hate you. I hate you._

He stopped abruptly at a modest looking building eventually, letting go of Leon's wrist in favour of fumbling with the gate that stood at the front of what Leon assumed to be Rose's home, following more obediently than he would have liked when Rose beckoned him in.

Somehow the house itself looked a lot more expanse on the inside, and Leon could already see himself getting lost numerous times should the opportunity present itself, and he had no doubt it would.  
He wordlessly maneuvered himself to one of the walls to get out of the way of the door as soon as he had entered, watching as Rose slipped his shoes off and put them to one side.  
He hastily did the same before he could chastise him and followed him quickly into the next room, and the next.  
"As you can see I have no time for the menial task of cleaning this place day-by-day." Rose said, gesturing at particular dusty areas of the house as they passed through.  
"So I will be leaving that to you, not to mention everything else.."  
Leon spoke for the first time since sharing his time with the man.  
"Everything else?"  
"Cooking, serving, running errands in town, maybe even gardening, things like that..." He explained further.  
The idea of running errands in town particularly piqued his interest, if he had to admit, but he tried to hide his emotions, simply nodding in agreement as he continued to follow him up a flight of stairs.  
"I understand..."  
"I should hope you do." He answered somewhat cryptically as he stopped at the top of the stairs.

"This will be your room, do with it as you will." He muttered, pushing open the door that creaked noisily upon doing so.  
The layers of settled dust that were visible from where they were standing was more than enough to tell Leon that this room hadn't been used in _eons,_ if it had even been used at all.  
The smell of damp completely permeated the room too, and he was sure that there was a leak somewhere too if the sound of dripping was anything to go by.  
There didn't appear to be anything of use for a bed, either, and he decided to pluck up the courage to ask about it.  
"Can I have something to sleep on?" He asked, nice as he could manage given the circumstances.  
"You have the floor. Be thankful you have even that." He bit back.

"Go to sleep. I have no use for you now, but I want you up early to serve us breakfast before making a start on cleaning.   
And one more thing. Don't talk to anyone in the house unless they address you first." He added, not waiting for Leon's answer as he began to descend the stairs.

He remained there for what felt like hours, when he probably was there for no longer than five minutes, completely and utterly distraught at the idea that he'd have to put up with this for the foreseeable future.  
He could feel tears prickle in his eyes and he did his best to fight them off as he retreated into the room, shutting the door behind him with more force than necessary.  
" _It's for them..." He took a deep breath as he sat in what he considered a cleaner part of the room.  
" _It's for them_ " He repeated, reassuring himself and lying down on the cold hard floor as a shiver ran up his spine._

_It didn't stop the floodgates from opening, he cried himself to sleep that night._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhh I love making Rose an asshole lol.
> 
> Another kind of short chapter but I like breaking it up a bit and I figured starting the next day in the same chapter just doesn't work for me, especially as I thought that was a good place to end it.
> 
> I do really want to get on with writing his interactions with Raihan but I think that'll probably come in chapter 4 at this rate, unfortunately.
> 
> Anyway I hope you're enjoying ~ Feel free to let me know in comments <3 Have a good day.


	3. A Friend

There were no windows to let in natural light in this cramped space that Leon now had to call his home, so any concept of time would soon become nothing more than alien to him.  
Wake up early to serve us breakfast, he had said, yet that was as vague as anything because what was early to him was surely not the same to someone else.

He wasn't even sure if he managed to get any sleep at all given all these factors, and given that he wasn't even sure if the day had even turned into the next.  
He pushed himself up from the worn wood slats on the floor, careful not to splinter himself as he crossed his legs and thought to himself.

The only conclusion that he came to was to just head downstairs anyway and if people were still asleep, so be it, he could just make an early start and get it over with.  
He smoothed out his hair as best he could, unruly though it was and did his best to rub at his tearstained cheeks, ridding himself of any proof of emotion in an attempt to make himself look presentable.

He inhaled a sharp breath and braced himself as he rose to his feet, pushing the door open carefully.  
And although he was careful it still made a resounding screech, halting him in place as he listened for any presence being alerted to him.

When he was satisfied that the coast was clear he continued his descent down the stairs until he finally reached the bottom, successful in his mission to stay out of sight at least.  
The first thing he'd noticed was light peeking through the windows in the first room he'd gotten to, and he sighed in relief as he noticed the sun was just beginning to rise over one of the buildings.

He made quick work of locating the kitchen and started familiarising himself with the location of the utensils he'd need to use.  
He was at least thankful that he had some kind of culinary experience to put to work.

He started simple, figuring it was the best approach to take when dealing with people he knew next to nothing about, and omelettes weren't hard to perfect, either.  
As soon as the egg started cooking in the pan, the smell had set his stomach into a low growl, reminding him that he hadn't eaten in hours.

He glanced back at the door, then back to the food again, if nobody was awake yet maybe he could get away with eating beforehand.

"What is this, then?" He heard the drawl of the older man's voice before he'd entered the room, and he bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from cursing.

"Good morning Rose, sir. I... Started making omelette." He hesitated, glancing up at him and wincing at the unreadable expression on his face.

"Omelette, huh. Make that three." He ordered, turning on his heel and making his way to the nearby room, which Leon had assumed was the dining room.  
He sighed in relief at the avoidance of scrutiny and made quick work of finishing all three omelettes before taking them into the next room and setting them down next to Rose and two others who seemed to be around his age.

He backed up next to the wall and regarded them as they ate, if he was lucky then maybe he would be able to find some friends here after all.

Rose stopped and watched Leon quizzically.  
"You may leave, I want the house cleaned."

_Demanding_

He couldn't help but be disappointed that he couldn't spare a word to the two, instead he steeled himself and nodded, giving a quick "Yes Sir" before withdrawing himself from the room.

-

Once he had nothing else to do in relation to cleaning the entirety of the house, he had been given a different task, one that required him to improve on his cooking craft.  
"This food is too cold."   
"It's too hard."  
"It's too sloppy."  
These complaints only came from the bratty curly haired boy though, whose name he was still unfamiliar with, but he also didn't care to know.  
He likened him to the character from Goldilocks and the three Bewears, just about holding back the snickers as the idea dawned on him.

"How is it now?"  
He watched as he tried it, and couldn't help but feel some kind of smug satisfaction when he _knew_ there was nothing bad he could say about it anymore.  
"Just right." He admitted.

That admission only left him with nothing else to do once more, however, and he couldn't help but at least be _glad_ that it allowed him some kind of reprieve from the same tedious jobs day over.  
Rose watched him with that same unreadable expression on his face.  
"I suppose you have earned yourself a treat, of sorts. Though if I find you've broken conditions I will not give you this opportunity again." He mulled over the idea before continuing.  
"You may go to town and buy yourself one item to keep in your room, and you will have one hour to do so. I also want you to buy other things."  
He took a piece of scrap paper into his hands and Leon swallowed nervously as he watched him scrawl on it.

 _This wasn't good._  
"Sir..." He hesitated.  
"Yes?"  
He swallowed nervously and shook his head, there was no way he would risk the chance of going to town, he'd work something out.  
He thought of something else to say to deviate from what he had intended to say, chewing on his lip a little to ease his nerves.

"Thank you for this chance, I will be as quick as I am able." He smiled, stepping up to him as soon as he'd finished writing the list and squinting in concentration at the jumble on the paper.

"One hour." He reminded him, but Leon was already out the door.

-

He stumbled towards the town, making out the letters one by one as he went until he finally gave up and dropped against a nearby tree in frustration.  
" _I'm so stupid... Can't read a simple piece of paper..._ " He pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stop himself from crying.  
"Psst"  
Leon blinked in confusion, turning his head around in all directions to discover the source but to no avail, maybe he was hearing things?  
"Psst!"  
He heard it again!  
"Up here!"  
Leon looked up to see a boy perched on one of the low hanging branches above him, he almost wondered how it held his weight regardless of his lanky stature.  
He blinked and remained silent.  
"Hey." He greeted. "Having trouble there?"

He glanced back down at the paper, only just realising he had momentarily forgotten why he was here.  
"Uh yeah.. I can't read." He laughed sheepishly, carding his fingers through his hair in embarassment.  
"Woah, really?" The strange boy replied, dropping from the branch to his side.  
"Want me to help you?"  
Leon was uneasy, he was offering his aid while not asking for anything in return and he wasn't sure if he could trust that.

He gave the boy another onceover, his clothes were well made and _definitely_ looked out of place with the dirt caked all over them.  
"Who are you?" Leon asked, dodging the offer.  
"Oh, I'm Rai- Just Rai." He grinned, offering his hand easily.  
Leon squinted and hesitantly shook it.  
".....Hop." He lied.  
"You're not from around here are you?" Rai asked. "I'm not sure I've heard that accent before..?"  
"I'm from Postwick."  
"Ohh, the countryside? Makes sense."  
 _What was that supposed to mean?_  
" _Makes sense?_ " He grumbled, tone bordering on accusatory.  
Rai shrugged and scooted close to Leon's side.

"Usually city people aren't as easy to talk to, that's all."  
 _Oh._  
"Sorry.. I didn't mean.."  
"It's ok!" Rai grinned, reaching to take the paper from Leon.  
"So." He began, skimming over the list before frowning at what he had read on it.  
"Are you sure this is a shopping list?"  
Leon tilted his head.  
"Why?"  
"It just... Never mind." He smiled and handed the paper back to him.  
"It says eggs, milk and sugar on it."

A booming voice cut across from the tree nearby, and Rai froze on the spot as he seemed to recognise who it was.  
"There you are your h-"  
"RAI! My name's Rai!" He replied back quickly, not suspicious at all.  
The figure that had approached looked just as confused as Leon felt but played along anyway.

"Rai... It is time for you to return... To your training." The man seemed to pluck the sentence out of the air, but it did well in fooling Leon at least.  
"Yes, training!" He agreed easily, rising to his feet quickly.  
"I'm sorry for cutting it short Hop but it was nice to meet you." He leaned in to whisper to him. "Let's meet here again sometime. I come here often." 

Leon blinked, stunned as he turned away with a flourish at the older man's side.  
"Did I just... Make a friend?" He asked himself, bursting into a smile.  
"I made a friend!"


	4. Cinderleon

"Eggs, milk, sugar."  
He repeated the words over and over in his head in an attempt to remember them, failing that he'd be able to pick the words out on the scrap of paper again.  
"Eggs.."  
He hesitated over the next word, uncertain as he trudged through the streets looking for the marketplace, in truth he couldn't stop thinking about those friendly blue eyes staring back at him with each step he made.  
"Rai.. Rye?"  
"Eggs.... Rye.."

He looked at the paper again helplessly, squeezing his eyes shut thereafter in a poor attempt to remember what else he'd told him earlier.  
" _Oh no_ " He muttered, panicking as he made his best effort to remember what else he'd been told, how could he be so foolish?  
There was no way he'd be let out again if he messed this up, and he probably only had another half hour to do so before rushing back, too.

His directional sense was stunted, and he couldn't read, both worked completely against his favour when the time was against him too.  
If he'd have mentioned that to Rose he was certain he'd just lessen the time he was given just to be spiteful.

"Think.." He urged himself, looking at the paper once more as if the words would suddenly come to him once again.  
"Eggs..." He managed slowly, looking up at a nearby stall to see what product they had on offer, and sure enough there were bags of sugar piled neatly atop one another.  
"Sugar!"  
"Eggs, Sugar and Rye bread, that was it!"

He tucked away the paper in his pocket and picked up one of the weightier bags of sugar, ignoring the cautious look they gave him as he smiled at them.  
"Just this please!" He announced, reaching into his other pocket for the change he'd been given and handing it over, watching as they counted it in their hand.

"There's nowhere near enough there, sweetheart." 

He blinked, that couldn't be right, could it?

"Are you sure?" He pressed, scrutinising the coins in their hands, aware that there were people out there that could easily scam.  
"Yes." They snapped, losing their patience as they dropped the coins back in his hand.  
"You won't get much with just a handful of coppers. Did you not learn that?"

He regarded the coins in his hands, speechless as he felt the tears start to well up in his eyes.  
What was he supposed to do?  
He knew that if he went back empty handed, it would do him no good whatsoever.

Not to mention he was at least hoping to have enough to sneak himself some food, and as soon as he had thought about it, his stomach started growling in protest.

"P-please can I have it? I.. I'll bring some more money, I promise." He was helpless, and he knew that pity was likely not to get him anywhere.  
They gave him another resounding no with such vitriol in their voice he was sent running as fast as his legs could take him away from there.

He found himself back at the doors of Rose's home, and whether it was instinct that lead him back here or the fact that his sense of direction was just that awful he had no idea.  
He felt his legs quake beneath him as he automatically manoeuvred towards the door, shakily resting a hand on the handle before pushing himself through it and making his way as quietly as he could towards his room.

If he was undetected, then maybe the debacle could be avoided.

"Ah, you're back. And just in the nick of time, too."

Leon froze in place and carefully turned to face the man.  
"Y-Yes- About that..." He began, but couldn't bring himself to say anything else.  
He licked his lips nervously in a futile attempt to moisten them.  
"Um, I'm not sure you gave me enough money, sir."  
" _Oh?_ Don't tell me you lost the note I gave you."  
"Y-you didn't give me a note." Leon contradicted, flexing his fingers to stave off the nerves, still unable to look Rose in the eye, at least until he grabbed him roughly by the chin and forced his head upwards.  
"Are you calling me a liar?"

Leon shook his head as best he could in his grasp, fighting off the tears that threatened to spill yet again.

"I'm sorry Sir, I must have dropped it, Sir..."   
"Just get out of my sight, you're useless."  
He nodded and hurried his way up the stairs, glad to at least be free from another other wrath he may have incurred.

He dropped to the floor as soon as he got there and started sobbing, this really was becoming a common occurrence in this space.  
There was nowhere else he could let it all out anyway.

Rose watched him as he went before heading to the living room to join Nessa and Bede, smiling at each of them in turn.  
Nessa looked less than pleased and averted her eyes.  
"You didn't give him a note, did you?" She accused, and Rose just regarded her with an amused expression before taking up the vacant seat beside her.  
"Of course not, why would I trust that wretch with my money?"  
"That was cruel." She mumbled, folding her arms.  
Bede shrugged. "It's his fault for being so gullible."

-

Again Leon had slipped in and out of consciousness more times than he could have counted until he finally gave up and got to his feet, unsteady as he could feel himself weak from the hunger.  
"Maybe.. I'll be luckier this time."

He descended the stairs as carefully as every other time and shuffled quietly towards the kitchen as soon as he'd set food on the ground.  
This time it was completely pitch black outside, and he was glad that that meant he could be afforded more time this time.  
He went straight towards the fridge and pried it open, taking whatever he could get his hands on and gorging on it hungrily.  
Never had anything tasted so good to him before, and he could almost cry with happiness as he satisfied his needs finally.

He stopped himself eventually, pocketing some wrapped foods for good measure before glimpsing the fireplace in the corner, still alight with the dying flames, but enough to still keep the room somewhat warm.  
Whether he shivered out of anticipation of drawing close to the heat source, or whether he shivered because of the cold, he had no idea, but he didn't hesitate in huddling up next to the fireplace and getting in what he hoped would be some better sleep for once.

He smiled blissfully as he finally dreamed of lazy days in Postwick, having family barbecues whenever the weather was good enough, doing roly polys with Wooloos in an attempt to prove he was better at them.  
He missed those times and he always craved them.

-

He woke up to the sound of raucous laughter from the doorway of the room, and squinted up to see Bede standing there.  
" _Oh my Arceus_ you really _slept_ there!" He cackled. "Look at your face!"

He blinked and turned his attention to a reflection in the hearth, rubbing his cindered face as best he could to get it clean.

"I'm gonna call you Cinderleon" He burst out laughing once more. "You sound like a Pokemon!"  
"Shut up!" Leon barked back, holding his tongue as he saw Rose step into the room, giving him an immediate look of disgust.  
"You disgusting glutton, clean yourself up." He chided, glaring at him.  
"And don't you dare tell Bede to shut up again."  
"Y..Yes, sir..." He replied, holding back on protest before heading to the sink to wash his face properly.  
"No, you can go outside and do it."  
"But-"  
"But nothing."  
"It's cold!"  
"Do I look like I care you little runt? Get out of here!"

He fisted his hands at his sides and shoved past Rose, tearing out of the room and ignoring Bede's laughter echoing behind him.  
Where he was going this time he had no idea, but he also knew he couldn't take it anymore.  
He ignored the multiple calls from strangers attempting to stop him, wondering what exactly had made him run and what was following him and given the state of his appearance he could have hazarded a guess.

The adrenaline kept him going through the winding streets of Hammerlocke until his chest started to hurt, but he kept going still, closing his eyes tight as if that would propel him some more until he bumped into someone and fell backwards into the floor.

"Damn it!" He cursed, arms flailing in frustration as he quickly scrambled to his feet, ignoring the commotion that almost immediately surrounded him.  
However the only concern was for whoever he had crashed into, and he positively _beamed_ when he realised who it was, oblivious as to why he had an entourage surrounding him.

"Rai!" He called, running to him with glee, only to be blocked by a bystander.  
"Um.. Sorry?"  
Rai quickly got to his feet too when he heard the voice, holding his head still as he looked up to see where it was coming from.  
"Hop!" He called back, practically tackling him back into the ground and messing his hair with his free hand.  
"You look _awful.._ " He observed, checking him over.  
"Have you been cleaning chimneys?" He asked jokingly, holding off on the laughter when he realised that he wasn't laughing.  
"Oh.. Sorry, I didn't want to upset you." He explained sheepishly, moving to brush off the dirt.

Rai looked like he wanted to say something else but whether he did or not, it was evident Leon would have to wait another time.

"Let's do something together now that we're both here?" Rai suggested.  
"Like?"  
He shrugged, laughing before thinking of something.  
He glanced back at the men surrounding him and nodded in their direction, which seemed to be enough to get them to disperse.

Leon was confused admittedly, but didn't dare question it if Rai didn't want to explain it.

"How about we go to the park? I can teach you to read some more while we're there if you want."  
The smile immediately returned at the suggestion, and Leon nodded as much as he possibly could.  
"Great." Rai grinned, turning to someone else beside him and whispering something into their ear, too, watching curiously as they nodded and headed away.

Leon, oblivious as he was, still thought nothing of it.  
"You have a lot of friends."  
Rai simply laughed.  
"Not many, actually." He admitted, reaching to take Leon's hand as he lead the way to the park.

Even though Leon had no eyes at the back of his head, he could still feel the presence of the people following from behind, and whether they were either friend or foe, he still felt uneasy about it all.

"Well.. I'm glad I get to be one of your friends. I'll never stop being your friend." Leon said, taking a few steps forward in an attempt to fall into stride with Rai's longer limbs and hesitating before taking his hand in his own.

Rai smiled in response to that.  
"That.. Means a lot, and I want to be your friend for life too, if that's alright."  
"Of course! You're one of the coolest people I've ever met."

He laughed.

"The same can be said about you."


	5. So the years go by

Leon had been mindful of the man that had been following the young pair at a close distance, recalling him from the time they had met for the first time.  
The relationship was... Odd, to say the least, but he didn't dare press it even if the question was weighing heavily on his mind.

He was at least thankful to be able to be free and enjoying himself, even if he knew there would be horrible repurcussions upon his return back to the house.

He pushed the negative thoughts aside and instead focused on the boy beside him, taking in his expressions and parts of his appearance he hadn't noticed before, particularly the canine poking out every time he grinned, and he couldn't help but be utterly endeared by it.

As soon as they'd met each other's gaze, though, he quickly turned his attention elsewhere and acted as naturally as possible, even though he was fairly certain he had been caught in the act.  
" _Are you blushing?_ " He giggled, poking Leon in the side who let out a surprised yelp at the action.  
"N-No!" He lied, swatting away his hand, which only added to the laughter from the taller boy.

"We're here anyway, tada~" He sang, gesturing at the scape before them.  
 _It was beautiful._  
He had no idea how such a place could exist within the walls of Hammerlocke, but he also didn't care, he found himself taking a step forward, feeling the grass graze against his ankles.  
It almost felt like he was home again.

"I.. Love it here." He murmured, unable to take his eyes off the sight before him before Rai pulled him along by the wrist again.  
"Come on!" He urged, rushing on ahead.  
"I have a special spot I like to go to."  
"Special?"  
"Mhhm! It's not far. Ah- Watch your step." He warned, stopping just short of what looked to be a manmade stream beneath their feet.  
"This water actually leads to the Wild Area, I think."  
Leon nodded, fascinated by learning that little piece of information.

"Here we are!" He stopped once more at the final destination before dropping gracelessly into the grass, kicking off his shoes before dipping them into the pool of water.  
"Try it- it's good!"

Leon was hesitant for a while, but finally sidled up next to him and did the same.  
Feeling the water dip between his toes was heavenly, and somehow any tension that he held in his body seemed to melt away in an instant.

"It.. Really is.. Good" He murmured, swaying a little as he tried to keep awake.  
"Are you tired?" Rai asked. "I don't mind if you want to sleep for a little, you do look like you need it."  
"Mmmm.." He mumbled, nodding slightly in his sleepy stupor.  
The protest from the man watching over the pair fell on deaf ears because Rai chose not to listen, and in Leon's case he had already fallen asleep against his shoulder.

"We really should be heading back soon, Your Majesty. You know public areas are dangerous." The man chided, stepping forward to make a move on waking Leon up once again.  
"Don't touch him, Kabu." He snarled, glaring at the man on his approach, halting him in his tracks.  
"Sire..."  
"Sorry..." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.  
"He just looks like he needs the rest..."  
"You can't help everyone-"  
"I'm not trying to help _everyone._ " He tutted, but finally relented all the same, gently shaking Leon up.

"Hop? Sorry.. I should be going back to my training."  
"Training...?" He frowned, confused while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.  
Rai smiled.  
"That's right... I didn't tell you did I? I'm a... a..." He looked to Kabu for any assistance in digging a hole further, only to have him look the other way. "Blacksmith's Apprentice at the castle." He managed finally.  
Leon's eyes snapped open, wide in disbelief.  
"Really?! That's so _cool!_ "   
He laughed nervously, how long could he maintain this lie?  
"That's right... So, I probably won't hear the end of it unless I go back now. But we can see each other again soon, right?"  
"Definitely! By the tree again?"  
Rai beamed, and Leon smiled back.  
"Of course! Now, will you be alright getting back on your own?"

The smile instantly wiped off of Leon's face, and even though he was certain the answer was a resounding no, that wasn't the word that left his mouth.  
"I should be alright, yeah." He reassured, no completely certain he could even fool himself let alone anyone else.

Rai looked concerned but had no way of doing anything about it.  
"Hop.."  
"Please don't worry" He managed another smile. "I'll be fine, I promise!"  
His resolve was strong, he could give himself that, even if he felt like the Earth was quaking beneath him.  
"If you're sure.." Rai pressed, only to tut as Kabu nudged him from behind once more.  
"By the tree around 12 on Wednesdays, see you then." He reminded him before waving and heading off to his own duties.

As soon as he was out of sight he'd sunk to the floor.

He had no idea how she had found him there, but before long Oleana had dragged his body from off the floor and with her the rest of the way back to Rose's home.

-

His punishment had felt lenient compared to how he had been treated before, he was used to not having food, not having comfort, not generally being treated with any sense of decency.  
However the thing that had tortured him most was going for weeks on end without seeing the light of day, and potentially breaking his promise of meeting up with Rai by their tree.

He hugged his knees and shivered in the attic room, cursing to himself for crying yet again as he tried to think about something positive.  
The longer he was trapped here though, the more the positivity seeped out of him until he became nothing more than a husk bending to Rose's every demand.

He didn't even remember the last time he had a decent meal, the last time he slept well, and the days just started to blend into each other as his concept of time had just left him, being stuck up here.

Whether Rose happened to be in a good mood that day, he had no idea, but the day had felt pretty standard.  
Leon had gotten up, made them breakfast, watched as they ate it before cleaning it up for them and cleaning up the rest of the house.

"You've been pretty good this week, I think you deserve a treat." Rose hummed, watching him from the dining table as he scrubbed the skirting boards while on his knees.  
"..A treat, sir?" He enquired, nonchalant.  
A treat by his terms could mean the opposite of the sort, so he held his scepticism until Rose had continued.  
"Yes." He lifted a hand to his chin in thought.  
"You look hungry, so why don't you get some food in Hammerlocke?"  
He blinked.  
"I'm being honest this time. Here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a note to offer to Leon.  
"You can check it if you want."

He swallowed nervously as he approached the man, anxious that this was way too good to be true, almost snatching the note out of his hand before he had a chance to change his mind.  
"I'm just being generous." He stated simply.  
"T-Thank you sir, does.. This mean I can go outside, too?"  
"Of course." He huffed, bringing the newspaper closer to his face to read as he left.

-

Even though he probably went about it a roundabout way, he finally found the meeting point they'd created for themselves and carefully perched himself on the fence surrounding it, buzzing with excitement to finally be seeing Rai again after what felt like months.

"You're here!"

Leon glanced up and grinned from ear to ear.  
"I'm here!"

Rai landed at his side and pulled him into a tight hug, not giving him any satisfaction of letting him go anytime soon.  
"I've missed you, where have you been?"  
"Um.. I went back home for a bit." He lied, biting his tongue as soon as he'd said it, but he could think of no better explanation for his absence.

"Postwick, right? I'd love to go there too sometime..." He leaned against the fence too, staring at the sky.  
"I haven't actually been to many places." He admitted.  
"Really?"  
Rai nodded.  
"But that's fine, I love it here, too, you're here now after all."  
Leon felt his face go a shade of red, how dark he had no idea, but he hoped it wasn't a big giveaway of his emotions.  
"Well... Maybe... We can travel somewhere together sometime."  
"That sounds perfect, let's make a promise."

-

"I can't believe it's already been two years since we met." Rai reminisced, rocking back and forth on top of the fence, enjoying the sounds of the creaking beneath him.

"Really? That long already?"

He nodded, jumping down from the fence in favour of linking arms with Leon instead.  
"There's something I have to say to you, though..." He hesitated, reaching for the right words.  
"Well, they want me to focus more on my.. training for the next two years, and that means being completely confined in the castle."  
 _"Two years?"_  
Rai nodded.  
"Can I not visit you there instead?"  
He shook his head sadly.  
"Only.." He inhaled sharply. "Only those who live and work there can visit, I'm afraid.."  
He worried his lip between his teeth, careful not to catch it on his sharp canine as he thought about something else.

"But-" He hesitated momentarily. "I heard they're planning a Masquerade for the Prince's 18th birthday, which I think is in about two years, too and they're going to open the castle to the public then."  
He braced himself the moment he uttered those words, worried that Leon would see through him there and then and reject him for the ongoing lie.

However he still seemed to be completely oblivious to it, still processing the fact he wouldn't see him for a while, he imagined.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way.. But, promise me you'll come visit me?"  
"Of course! I did say we'd be friends for life!"  
Rai exhaled the breath he had been holding, completely and utterly relieve with his answer before pulling him into a tight hug.  
He would tell him everything then, he had decided.


	6. Til we meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon still naïve as hell.
> 
> Also big dumbass energy forgetting to tell Raihan his real name.
> 
> Not that Raihan has told him his yet either.
> 
> Time will tell :3c
> 
> tldr they're dumbasses

No matter how much time he had to process it, Leon still couldn't get around the idea of not being able to see Rai for the foreseeable future, and he wasn't sure how he would even get by without him, either, given that seeing him in the middle of the week was his highlight.  
He kept up the happy pretence, though, and it wasn't hard really, because he really was happy being by Rai's side.  
He only wished it could last longer.

When it finally did sink in, he made the most of cherishing their last moments together, and even though it wasn't going to be forever, he still dreaded the day coming to it's end.  
They had stretched the time for as long as they could, having visited the park that they spend so much time together in.

"I want to take you somewhere else." Rai cut the silence as they walked side by side through the streets of Hammerlocke, again followed by an entourage at a distance that Leon had not yet noticed, this time.  
"Oh?"  
"It's a surprise. Do you trust me?"  
Leon nodded quickly, reaching for Rai's hand as he closed his eyes tight.  
"I'm not peeking."  
Rai waved a hand in front of his eyes to be sure and lead the way, glancing pointedly at the guards as they continued to follow suit.  
He held back a sigh as he started making his way towards the Vault of Hammerlocke, stopping just short of a flight of stairs.  
"We're going up.." He informed him, carefully directing him up each step until they finally reached their destination.

Rai lead him right up to the edge of the building, stopping him at a distance from the first turret he reached and turning to face him with a smile.  
"You can open your eyes."  
Leon obeyed, letting his eyes adjust to the low light that bounced off the buildings surrounding them and took in his surroundings.  
"Where are we?"

"Just above the Vault. Come on, the sun is setting soon." Rai proceeded to carefully sit down in between the turrets, carefully dangling his legs off of the building before imploring Leon to do the same.  
"Don't worry, I brought my Pokemon with me in case." He reassured, patting the vacant space next to him.

That didn't put him at ease at all, but he didn't want to miss any second of opportunity to spend time with him before they had to part, either.  
He copied his manoeuvres as best he could to keep himself safe, practically clinging to Rai's side as he felt the unease creep up on him.  
"It's ok, I won't let you fall." He cooed, rubbing circles into Leon's back in an attempt to calm him down, and it actually worked better than he thought it would.  
"If you feel uncomfortable though you can sit back if you want."  
He shook his head.  
"I like this."

The light of the sun as it began to set had illuminated the view as far as the eye could see, and Leon thought it breath-taking.  
He had never seen anything of the like before in his life, and he couldn't bring himself to shut his mouth as he stared in wonder.

Rai, who had seen this multiple times before, decided to watch Leon's expressions with fondness rather than watch the sunset itself.  
"It's beautiful.."  
"You're right. It is." He replied pointedly, still gazing at him instead.

"I'm going to miss you..." Leon murmured suddenly, building up enough gall to rest his head against Rai's shoulder.  
"It will pass by before you know it." Rai reassured, absentmindedly smoothing a lock of hair away from his face and planting a kiss in his hair.

Leon had felt the sensation, but having not seen the action he couldn't have been sure he wasn't just imagining things.  
He licked his lips nervously and withdrew himself from the crook of Rai's shoulder, gazing intently into his eyes.  
"Did you- Can I-" He stopped himself, burying his face back in the crook of Rai's neck in utter humiliation.

He simply smiled and eased Leon's face from there with his hand, having already guessed what it was he was intending to ask.  
"I did. And you may." He replied, gently cupping his face once more in his hand and bringing him forward in a messy yet chaste kiss.

Before they had realised, they had been completely enveloped in the darkness of the dusk, and Leon refused to think about having to leave now, especially as he would probably get it in the neck for being absent for way longer than he was allowed.  
That would be a problem for later, though.

"I love you..." He whispered, embracing Rai one last time before they had to get ready to part.  
He opened his mouth to respond until he saw Kabu standing near the flight of stairs, sighing heavily as he knew it really was time to put a halt on this.

How much had they seen? Perhaps he shouldn't have been so forward because he just knew this would get reported to his father.

"I have a present for you." He replied instead, deviating from the subject and absolutely loathing himself for the heartbreak that seemed evident on Leon's face when he didn't reciprocate.  
"I should have given him to you sooner, but hopefully he can keep you good company now while we're apart."  
He placed a Pokeball in his hands, resisting the urge to lead him on any more by peppering his hands with kisses in turn.

Leon was too stunned to speak, he regarded the ball in surprise and let out the Pokemon almost immediately as his curiosity got the better of him.  
"It's.." He started, but left the pause hanging as he'd never seen its like before.  
"He's called Charmander, a fire Pokemon as you can see. So he can keep you warm on cold nights too." Rai smiled.

"I'm really sorry Hop, but I should really get going now, I have uh... A lot of swords to make." He explained sheepishly, turning on his heel and making his way down the stairs again before he knew the inevitable would happen and Leon would make him stay longer.

"That's.. Not my name.." He managed to say just as Rai had left his sight.

He felt the tears form, but he couldn't stop them, and it gradually got worse as he dropped to the floor and wailed against the cold stone, oblivious to his new Pokemon making an attempt to cheer him up by patting his shoulder.

-

"Where have you been?! I told you _one hour._ "  
Leon didn't have the energy to argue, so he simply shrugged and made an attempt to step around Rose.  
That did nothing more than fill him with even more ire, he grabbed Leon's shoulder and whirled him round to face him.  
"Did you even get anything I requested you buy? You little brat." He growled, balling his fists at his side.  
Leon shrugged again.  
"You little-" He raised an arm to strike him, only to be cut in by Nessa entering the room.  
"Sir, Oleana has business with you in town, remember." She reminded him, folding her arms as she glimpsed the spectacle.

Rose sighed and removed his hands from the teen, stepping around him.  
"Count yourself lucky this time, brat." He scowled back at him, grabbing his jacket as he made his way out the room.

Nessa hovered at the door momentarily until she heard the front door slam behind her, making a move to close the space between them as soon as it was safe to do so.  
"Are you ok?"  
He shook his head, breaking into tears once more as he slipped into the floor, hugging his knees.  
" _I don't think I can do this..._ " His voice was muffled and riddled with sobs, but Nessa still understood what he had said.  
"You're doing amazingly." She reassured, rubbing his shoulders.  
"I actually have something for you too, I was just waiting for Rose to leave."

She moved her hand as his breathing became less laboured and he peered at her in curiosity.  
"Really...? What is it?" He asked.  
She smiled.  
"It's a parcel from your mother, actually. Come on~" She coaxed, helping him to his feet and leading him into her room.

This was the first time he'd actually set foot in her room, and it wasn't what he expected at all. He had expected it to reek of femininity, but it seemed to be the complete opposite, and he was astounded.  
His eyes finally rested on the large poster bed set in the middle of the room, and he fought back the jealousy, averting his gaze onto something else instead.

"Here it is!"  
She handed over a large parcel carefully wrapped in brown paper and tied with string, just the way he loved it, and it warmed his heart that his mother was still thinking of him in this way.  
He hesitated as he stared at it, what if seeing the contents upset him all over again?  
"Are you going to open it? I won't be able to get rid of Rose for long." She hurried him, glancing with worry at the package.

He obliged her, taking a sharp breath as he pulled on the string binding it together and opening it in one motion, the paper falling away just as he'd removed the string.

"What is it?" Nessa asked, eyeing up the parcel with suspicion.

He suddenly had the dread that maybe she was going to tell Rose about this after all, and he kept guarded as he looked over the clothes.  
"These... Were my father's.."  
A note dropped out of the package itself when he lifted the garments into the air, he put the clothes aside and picked it up, squinting at the writing on it.

When he had first met Rai, he couldn't read a word, but now here he was, reading a note from a package his mother had sent him, no less.

_Dearest Leon,  
I hope this message finds you well, and that you are coping in Hammerlocke.  
I know I should have written this years ago, but I couldn't find the strength,  
or the words, and for that I apologise.  
Have you made new friends there? I bet it's wonderful in the city._

_I wonder what kind of man you're growing up to be?  
I hope I get to see you again sometime._

_We miss you every day,  
and we love you with all our heart._

_Till we can see each other again._

_Mum & Hop_

_PS I found your father's wedding suit while cleaning, I thought it would look great on you._

_PS again - I also found the cap he gave you, you always looked so cute in it._

It took him a while to make out some of the words, but he had gotten the gist of the entire letter, and somehow it cheered him up rather than bring him down.

He stared at the clothes his mother had gave him and remembered Rai's words from the day.  
" _Promise me you'll come visit me?"_

He smiled, this was the _perfect_ attire to wear to a formal event, especially as he knew Rose wouldn't buy him anything new.

Nessa didn't miss a beat, she blinked in confusion as she watched him deliberate to himself in silence.  
"Everything ok?" She asked.  
"Yeah it's fine!" He laughed, pulling the clothes close to himself.

"I just can't wait for the Prince's Birthday Masquerade~"

Nessa raised a brow in confusion, tilting her head too.  
"Masquerade? There has been no such announcement."

"Oh.. Well it _is_ in two years.." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, maybe this information wasn't supposed to leave the castle yet?

"Keep it to yourself? Maybe it's a surprise party for the Prince or something."

"Where did you even learn about this?"

"Oh.. Uh.." He hesitated, but eventually relented.  
"I have a friend... That works in the castle, that's all."

"Oh." She replied simply, resting her head in her hands on the table.  
"He must be important." She noted.

"He's just an apprentice." He ensured, taking up the clothes and cap in his arms and heading upstairs hastily and hiding them in the cubbyhole he built for himself unbeknownst to anyone.  
He nestled the Pokeball in the middle of the clothes and smiled as it lay there.  
"Rest up friend, it's going to be a long two years."


	7. Cruelty

Two years had gone by, and even though Leon wished it was in a blink of an eye, it hadn't been.  
Parting from his friend had been anything less than painful, and even though each day that had passed meant he was closer to seeing him once, it didn't feel any more manageable.

He had kept to himself for the most part, only doing what Rose had asked of him silently and without complaint so as not to incur his wrath, and returning to his sad excuse for a room by the end of the day.

What made his life all the more tolerable though was having Nessa there, and even though he had to tread carefully while Rose was around, he got to talk to her a lot more than he expected to while the days passed by.

Whenever he had the chance to go outdoors, which was still just for the hour per week, or two, if Rose was feeling generous, he would make the most of it and take along the gift that Rai had bestowed him.

He didn't dare tell anyone about his new companion, who often on cold nights would keep him warm if he needed, not even Nessa who he had trusted wholeheartedly.

The atmosphere of the town was noticeably different as he set about running his usual errands for Rose, and the buzz of it all made him all the more excited about what was going to come soon.  
He greeted the townspeople as he passed, as he had always did when he set foot onto the streets, smiling as he watched them prepare for the parties they intended to throw outside the castle gates when the prince was to come of age.

He stopped outside the bakery and lingered at the nearby noticeboard, squinting at the new posters that were set up there, and there were many detailing what events were to happen for those that were not lucky enough to be invited into the castle.

He was thankful that through Rai's teaching he could read a lot better than he had done, but the moment he skimmed over the poster detailing that people had to be _invited_ to attend, he felt his heart sink.  
There was no way he'd get a hold of an invitation.

He sighed and stepped into the bakery finally, mulling over his options as he paid for his order at the til.

"What's eating you, love?"

He snapped out of it and glanced up at the baker sheepishly, it was only apparent to him that he'd been staring at the floor the entire time as soon as she broke the silence.  
He managed to force a smile and shook his head.  
"I'm fine... Thank you for worrying, though."

He shuffled out of the bakery quickly, not giving her a chance to reply to him, instead she watched after him sadly, sighing.  
"Poor boy.."

-

He took the long route back to Rose's home, just touching the tip of the Wild Area before rounding back in, he was certain he had ample time to do so with the short list of tasks he'd been given for once.  
He was thankful for the days that Rose was a little more lenient with him, and those seemed to be one of those days.

He passed his Charmeleon a berry he'd picked while brushing the Wild Area, watching with a smile as he gorged on it.  
"Is it good?"  
The Charmeleon nodded his assent as Leon stopped in his tracks just around the corner from his house.  
"I'm afraid I'll have to put you back in the ball for now, but I'll let you back out this evening, I promise."  
Even if his Pokemon looked disappointed, he also looked at Leon in understanding, nodding a little as it licked its lips.  
"Thank you friend, one day you will always be free."

He hoped that for himself, too.

He hid the ball under a loose part of his clothing and took a deep breath before rounding the corner to the house and heading in hesitantly, he'd probably spent more time than he was allowed outside again.

He met Bede at the doorway, regarding him carefully and moving past him wordlessly.  
He folded his arms as he brushed against his skin upon passing.  
"Why do you have a Charmeleon?"

He froze in place and blinked.  
"I don't know what you mean." He replied calmly, face showing no emotion, practiced after years of dealing with Rose's insults.

"I saw you."

He shrugged and stepped further into the next room.  
"You must need to get your eyes tested." He quipped, stopping just short as he reached Rose in the other room, no doubt having heard their exchange.  
Rose locked eyes with him as soon as he came into view, his expression unreadable and he felt himself freeze on the spot once more.

He licked his lips nervously and set the bag of items to one side.  
"I... I got what you asked for, sir."  
Rose dropped his gaze to the bag and nodded.  
"Thank you." He replied, only to resume reading over whatever he was reading previously.

He sighed in relief and ejected himself from the room quickly, feeling beads of sweat on his brow as he rushed back to his room.  
Luckily he hadn't been accosted by Bede, and he took the opportunity to hide away his Pokeball once more.

-

The days of the supposed Masquerade Ball were looming ever closer, and still Leon was none the wiser as to how he'd manage to get in without the supposed invitation, part of him was wondering whether it would be better to give up.  
Though after two years of waiting it would be a completely wasted effort, and so he would keep hoping a solution would arise before it was too late.

Though if all he was was a lowly Apprentice, how much influence would he even have of persuading the prince in giving him an invitation? Did Rai even know him?

He sighed audibly as he cleaned the area around Rose's desk, safe in the knowledge that nobody would hear him, at least that was what he thought until he heard Sonia clear her throat behind him.

"What are you doing? You know you're not supposed to clean his desk.." Nessa spoke up.

"Oh.. I was daydreaming... Wasn't thinking sorry."

"Daydreaming about?" 

"...Going to the ball" He admitted finally.

"Really? It's nothing great, you know, all you do is dance and talk to people you don't want to-"

Leon's eyes went wide at the mention of the word "dance."  
"Dance? What do you mean _dance??_ I can't dance!"

She raised an eyebrow inquisitively and shrugged.  
"You don't _have_ to dance per se, but-"

Leon stared up at her with puppydog eyes.  
"But?"

She shrugged again.  
"I guess it's... What's expected of people. So you'd stick out like a sore thumb if you don't dance and just wallow on the side."

Leon nodded in understanding, expression serious.

"Teach me."

"No."

"Nessa please! I really want to go-"

She folded her arms and looked away.  
"Arceus you're so stubborn. Fine. If you happen to get an invitation tomorrow then I'll teach you to dance."

Leon beamed at her, resisting the temptation to hug her there and then.  
"Nessa! Thank you!"

She huffed. "Thank me _after_ you get an invitation."

-

The next few days Leon would finish up everything early and wait with anticipation at the door for the possible invitations to be delivered, and time and time again he would get disappointed when nothing but air slipped through the letterbox.

He dragged his feet to the living room on his third attempt, collapsing into a sofa and sighing.

"Get off of the chair." Rose hissed, stepping into the room.

"Oh, sorry sir I thought you were-"

"Gone? Well I'm back." He bit back, eyes filled with nothing but ire as he locked eyes with Leon.

He obeyed and slipped out of the seat in an attempt to ease Rose's anger.  
"Why _you_ of all people." He huffed, scrolling down a piece of paper he held in his hands, a bunch of unopened envelopes held between his other fingers.

"Sir?" He pressed, moving closer to get an idea of what was bothering him.

"You really are something." He growled, glaring in his direction as he made the step closer, showing the paper in his hands in full view this time.  
"Can you _read_ this this time? Dumbass. Or are you going to pretend you don't understand again."

Leon blinked and eyed the paper in his hand once more, braving another step to glance over it better.

_**Invitation** _  
_We hereby invite Hop to the Masquerade Ball in aid of the Prince's birthday._

He scanned over the letters over again and still it hadn't sunk in what he read on the paper, but just as he started to bubble with excitement, he felt the despair as he watched Rose rip up the paper in his hands.

"Shame a Hop doesn't live here." He remarked, tidying up the enveloped in his hands before taking them to Bede and Nessa.

Leon dropped to the scraps of paper littered on the floor, tears in his eyes as he scrambled to piece them together again.

Finally he had had his chance at salvation, yet it was whipped from under him in seconds by the cruel man before him once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy 
> 
> sorry this one is a little boring but there had to be a bridging chapter.
> 
> I have also been away all weekend so couldn't do anything beforehand so, I hope you enjoy it <3


	8. Burn

Raihan had been counting the days for as long as he could remember, eager to see his friend once again, and now that the day was nearly here that they would be reunited again, the excitement mixed with an odd kind of nervousness that perhaps things would be different now that time had passed.

The castle was filled with a kind of buzz that he couldn't relate to at all, yes, he was excited, but it was probably for all the wrong reasons.  
At least that's what Kabu would advise him constantly.  
"You know nothing can come from this, sire." He would tell him time and time again until it became so repetitive, Raihan would just respond automatically with a nod or a blunt "yes".

He traced the walls of the castle as he walked down its long hallway, sighing as he came to a stop, feeling Kabu's presence behind him yet again.  
"Following me again?"  
"It is my duty, sire."  
"I'm not going to get hurt inside the castle, at least let me have _some_ freedom." He snapped, regretting the possible malicious intent that seeped into his voice.

He sighed again and shook his head.  
"Sorry..." He apologised, meek.  
"I'm just tired of being treated like... like-"  
"A prince? How else would you be treated?"  
Raihan cast a glare in his direction, all niceties thrown out of the window as his mood soured, folding his arms in petulance.

"Maybe that's not what I want."

"We can't always get what we want in life, not even you."

Raihan's eyes narrowed.  
"Don't talk to me like that." He grumbled.

Silence filled the air thereafter, and the longer it lingered the more stifling it had felt to him, so he broke it once more.  
"So did you do as I asked?"  
"Send the invitation? In a sense."  
"...In a sense?" He queried.  
"Nobody knew anyone with the name Hop, so I described him instead, I have never seen anyone else around with purple hair after all."  
"And?" Raihan pressed, patience wearing thin.  
"I had it passed on."

Raihan regarded him incredulously.  
"So you don't know if it reached him?" He seethed.  
"No." He replied, nonchalant.  
"I'm sure he'll turn up regardless."

"Urgh, you don't know that Kabu..." He grumbled.  
"Maybe I'll just look for him again-"  
"You have duties to uphold, sire."  
"I couldn't care less about that right now."  
"Then how do you suggest you'll find him? You don't know where he is, Hammerlocke is a big place."  
He opened his mouth to protest and shut it again before he could speak, he knew Kabu was right after all.

"Fine. You'd better hope he turns up."

-

Leon stared at the scraps of paper in his hands for what felt like the hundredth time.  
Ever since Rose had quashed his only chances of going to the Masquerade, he simply wallowed in self pity over the next two weeks.

Nessa brought food to his room once again when Rose and Bede were out of the home, shifting forward on her knees as she sat down beside him.  
"You know you can still go, the papers are a formality, I'm sure if you give your name they'll still have you on the list." She suggested, pushing the plate of food towards him.  
"Please eat something while they're out."

Leon looked to her and complied, taking up the plate into his hands slowly and chewing on the food just as slowly, only speaking to give her a quiet thanks for reminding him to eat, and even providing the food for him in the first place.

She wrapped her arms around her legs and watched him as he chewed, humming softly.  
"Do you still want me to teach you to dance? There's not much time left, though, it _is_ next week after all."

Leon stopped mid chew and met her gaze, swallowing what food he had whether chewn or not.  
"You'd still do that? What if you get into trouble? Rose-"  
"Never mind him, it's my decision. I'd love to accompany you there."

Leon felt his eyes well up with tears, and he stopped just short of a sob as he stuffed his face with the rest of the food in an attempt to stop himself.

She raised a brow, half in concern and half in curiosity.  
"Be careful, you'll choke." She deadpanned, watching with slight surprise as he finished it all easily without choking as she had feared.

"Can... Can you teach me something now, while they're still gone?" He asked, rising to his feet in anticipation.

She smiled and rose to her feet too, taking his hand in hers and placing the other on her waist.  
"It might not work as well since I have a different stature, but I'll try my best."

"Try and keep your frame as straight as possible, and then we can go through some movements to practice."  
She held tightly onto his waist in turn and gave him the onceover, smiling and nodding in satisfaction.  
"You seem to have a good posture for dancing, anyway. Now.." She hummed, taking a gentle step forward and watching Leon's footwork as it clumsily stumbled forward.

"Hm.. Not so good on the footwork, but we can make this work."

-

Nessa was a lot stricter as a teacher than Leon had anticipated, and he wasn't prepared at all for her intense scrutiny and strict guidance, but he also wouldn't have it any other way.  
He wanted the night to go perfectly, even if it meant extreme practice on the lead up to the day.  
They didn't get in as many hours as he would have liked, ironically dancing around his work in cleaning the home and avoiding either Bede or Rose finding out about their arrangement, but Leon had still become satisfied with his progress as the day loomed nearer.

"I think you've got the basics down for one night of dancing." She spoke one evening, letting go of his side as she finished practicing with him.

"Do _you_ think you're ready? It is tomorrow after all."

Leon took in a sharp intake of breath and held it there momentarily before exhaling and giving his answer, patting his cheeks a little in an attempt to stave off the nerves.

"I can't believe it's tomorrow already... I really hope that Rose has changed his mind and will let me go."

Nessa regarded him wordlessly, she really didn't know what to say in this situation, especially as she was wholeheartedly convinced that Leon's hard work would come to naught.  
She said nothing, though, just smiled reassuringly and nodded.  
"I'm sure he will." She replied unconvincingly, cursing herself for letting her voice falter, and Leon had noticed it too.

He frowned.

"You don't think he will..." He murmured, a statement rather than a question to her.  
"I..." She began. "You know what he's like Lee-" She added unhelpfully, watching guiltily as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, feeling the stress get to him.

"I'm going. I don't care what he says."

-

The day had finally arrived.  
Leon had been waiting for two long years and finally it was here, and he felt the excitement bubbling in his chest as he cleaned the house with more gusto than he remembered ever having.  
He felt Rose's eyes on him as he dusted around the living room, but chose to ignore it unless he garnered his attention.  
And he did, eventually.  
"What are you so excited about? You are aware that the Masquerade is invite only." He murmured, resting his head on his hand with a smile as he watched Leon freeze in place and his expression turn to a frown.

He should have expected this from Rose, no less, but he didn't want to let him win, either.  
He smiled back weakly, wringing the cloth a little in his hands.  
"I was.. Hoping I could just go with you?" He asked, averting Rose's gaze a little as he seemed to consider it.

"No. You don't even have anything to wear."  
"I do!" He countered "I'll show you!"  
He ignored Rose's scowl as he dropped the cleaning rag to one side and proceeded to grab his father's wedding suit from his room, smiling as he stared down at it.  
"I hope you're proud of me.." He murmured quietly before returning to Rose, hoping not to test his patience too much.

"Here!" He showed Rose the suit, smiling falsely from ear to ear as he glanced up and down it, a wry smile forming on his lips as he put his paper aside and rose to his feet to apparently get a better look.

"This tailoring..."  
Leon's eyes lit up, hopeful, it was good enough for him to wear?  
He let Rose take the suit from him with no complaint as he examined it closer, taking a careful step backwards.  
"Is no good" He finished, turning on his heel and tossing it into the flaming hearth.

Leon watched with horror as the garments set alight, he rushed to the fireplace as quickly as he could and scooping it out recklessly, burning his hands in the process.  
He sobbed while Rose burst into laughter behind him, shaking his head in clear amusement.  
"I didn't expect it to burn _so well_ "  
He had the nerve to rest his hand on Leon's shoulder and leaned forward, whispering into his ear.  
"You won't be going to the ball, got it?"  
Leon struggle to hold back a sob and nodded slowly.  
"Yes, sir... I won't be going, sir.."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Leon..
> 
> The ball will hopefully be next chapter :3c
> 
> Will he get there? Will he not? Stay tuned


	9. Fairy Godmother

Leon remained sat at the hearth, staring wistfully at the scorched remains of his father's clothes in his hands as the three prepared themselves for the evening ahead.  
Even if Nessa cast glances his way in an attempt to subtly get his attention while Rose busied himself elsewhere, he didn't pay any attention.  
He was hollow, almost a shell that could only manage to give himself the self-pity he deserved.

"Lee?" She glanced behind her cautiously and took a careful step in his direction, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder.  
"You should still come, forget what he says." She whispered, proceeding to kneel beside him and rub his back, letting her eyes fall on the clothes he still held to his chest.

"Maybe.. It's still fixable?"

He shook his head and said nothing, tears shining in his eyes.

"I can-"

"Are you ready Nessa? We don't want to be late after all."

Rose hovered in the doorway, carefully leaning against the frame watching over the pair with an obvious suspicion in his eyes.

She whipped her head around in the direction of his voice and climbed to her feet quickly, brushing off any dust that may have picked up on her dress.

"Yes.. I'm ready."

He smiled and gave her the onceover.  
"There's no doubt in my mind that you can win over the Prince." He stated matter-of-factly, almost as if he was proud of her.

She stopped herself from rolling her eyes and simply nodded.  
"Thank you."

He hummed in thought and moved himself out of the doorway.  
"Would you go and collect Bede? I'll wait for you outside."

She nodded once more and cast one last glance in Leon's direction before leaving the room.

"She's a good one, isn't she? Kind, even if you're not deserving of it."

Leon said nothing.

"What's this? Are you ignoring me? After I let you stay here?"

He blinked, turning his head slightly to appease Rose.  
"No, sir.. I just don't feel well, I'm sorry."

"In that case, as soon as you've finished cleaning the house then I suppose I can let you go to bed early."

"Thank you sir. I hope... You enjoy your evening."

"Oh I will. I hope you don't." He sneered, turning back towards the door and leaving silently.

There was no way that Leon would show any more vulnerability to those around him, stifling his tears was the hardest thing he had to do and yet he still managed it, even if speaking words threatened to make him crack completely.

He stood on his feet and threw a glimpse outside, clutching his father's clothes closer to his chest for comfort, watching sadly as everyone bundled into the carriage outside.  
This was really not how he expected the evening to go, yet he felt completely overwhelmed by the sadness the moment it sunk in that he couldn't go.  
The carriage started pulling away outside and he dropped to his knees again, distraught and broken as the tears finally fell.

"I can't take it anymore! _Mother.._ "

-

How long he had been crying, he had no idea, yet over his loud sobs he thought he had heard a faint tapping against the front door.  
He rubbed at his eyes in an attempt to compose himself, taking deep breaths now and then to slow down his erratic breathing, before finally rising to his feet and answering the door as the knocks became more frequent.

He took another sharp breath for good measure and yanked open the door with more force than was necessary, looking around a little before his eyes settled on an old lady at the door, he wasn't sure if he could even place an accurate age on her.

Rose never usually got visitors of the like before, so he couldn't help but be puzzled at the supposed guest.

"H-Hello?" He swallowed, voice still shaky "Can I help you? I'm afraid Rose has just left-"  
At least, he thought he had, he had no idea still how much time had passed.

She stared at him in complete silence, whether it was to read him or something else, he had no idea, maybe Rose had even just hired her to keep tabs on him or something.

"Would you be so kind as to bring me a cup of water? Or milk please."

"Oh.. Of course, please, come in." He stuttered, gently taking her arm to support her as he lead her over to the plush seats in the living room.

"I won't be long." He forced a polite smile and fled the room to the kitchen, fumbling with the glasses in the cabinet and wincing as he dropped one.  
He breathed deeply again, stilling himself momentarily before picking up the undamaged glass and filling it with water.

"Here!" He announced, practically running into the living room again with the glass in hand.  
"I'm afraid there is no milk at the moment" He made a note to buy some more before gently offering her the glass and sitting opposite.

She smiled.  
"You're too kind, thank you."

She stared at him once again from across the room, and he couldn't help but feel tense and uneasy until she finally took a sip from the glass.

"Why have you been crying? Is it your hands?"

_That caught him off guard._

"Oh... Uh..." He automatically hid them from view.

She raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to answer, taking another sip of the glass patiently as she regarded him from across the room, why was her gaze so intense?

"It's probably stupid..." He explained.

"I doubt that. You seem like a bright young man." She encouraged, setting the drink aside and lacing her fingers together as she waited for him to continue.

He couldn't help but blush at the offhanded comment, he couldn't even remember the last time someone said something like that to him, not even Nessa.

"Thank you.. Well... Maybe it's selfish too but... I really.. _really_ wanted to go to the Ball... I even got an invitation! But..."

Her expression seemed to darken as if she already knew what was going to come next, and he almost hesitated saying the next words.

"Well... My... Guardian? I suppose, didn't want me to. So he ripped it up... And threw.. threw..." He glanced down at the clothes he had left in a pile near the hearth, and she followed his gaze to them.  
"I have nothing to wear now, anyway..." He concluded miserably.

She hummed in thought, pushing herself up with effort and hobbling over to the scorched scraps.  
"I don't know about that."

"What?"

She smiled over at him.  
"Would you mind picking these up for me, love? I can't bend over in my old age."

Although the request confused him, he did as he was bid and picked them up once more.  
"Wait.. They're.."

He held out the suit fully in his hands and looked it over and over, trying to locate the scorch marks that he swore were there before.  
"I wasn't lying.. Honest." He murmured, sheepish.

"Oh I know." She smiled knowingly and returned to her thoughts.  
"Now, what else?"

He blinked.  
" _What else?_ "

She looked up at him and winked.  
"Oh you're going to the ball, darling, nobody deserves it more than you. Not to mention you have a Prince waiting for you."

He felt his cheeks redden again and he made a poor attempt at hiding his face behind the suit jacket, averting his eyes for good measure.

"Well.. He's not a prince, but.."

"Hmm.."

_He really doesn't know, does he?_

"Get yourself dressed, I'll arrange your transport."

He stared at her, dumbfounded, but obeyed all the same and left the room as she went to work in doing what she had seemed to promise him, emerging shortly after dressed in his father's clothes.

She looked over him as he emerged again from the other room, drawing her hand to her chin and tapping the tip of it.  
"It doesn't quite look right."

She procured a starred wand from the air and waved it in the air, directing whatever she had concocted in his direction.  
"There. It's not pink but I think this colour suits you perfectly."

He glanced down at his clothes once more, they showed no resemblance at all to his father's clothes but he loved the new look.  
"Is this a tailcoat?" He asked, twirling on the spot.  
"I don't know how I can repay you. Maybe if I-"

"Hush, just enjoy yourself!"

He closed his mouth and said no more as she continued mumbling to herself, not wanting to interrupt her train of thought.

"The transportation is outside waiting. Oh and take this with you!"

She handed over a small Pokemon that resembled a large orange fruit that Leon had seen the like of many a time on the farms in Postwick.  
He'd never seen this Pokemon before, though.  
"What is it?"

"It's a Pumpkaboo. Keep it with you at all times so it can maintain the illusion, you don't want to be discovered by your so called guardian, do you?"

He shook his head and glanced at the Pumpkaboo again, smiling as he patted it gently.  
"Do your best."

"Also don't put it away in its ball, not until you have to leave the ball." She insisted.  
"And I think that's everything!" She beamed, turning him towards the door and ushering him out.

"I suggest you go now before you end up late."

He felt himself well up with tears once more, but this time they were for the opposite reason.  
"Thank you... Thank you so much for this, really."

He climbed into the carriage that also seemed to resemble that fruit he couldn't quite place the name of, but he shrugged it off as he placed the Pumpkaboo in his lap and glanced outside one of the windows, jumping slightly as the woman appeared there out of the blue.

"I forgot another thing. This little creature can only hold on to the illusion for a number of hours, so be sure to leave when the clock strikes twelve."

"Twelve.. That's more than enough time." He nodded.

"The house will be sparkling when you get back, too."

She winked and disappeared into thin air all of a sudden, making him jump yet again as the carriage began to move on its own.  
"Lady?" He spoke to nobody in particular.

The carriage seemed to be going at snail's pace towards the castle, and it felt like torture that he couldn't get there any sooner, even though he had already waited for two years to see his beloved friend again.

He started wondering what the need of the carriage was when he could have simply walked, but he assumed keeping up appearances while arriving was important, too, and they would probably be less likely of turning him away at the door if he looked fancy.

His thoughts raced with excitement and he couldn't contain himself for the entire ride, shifting in every which position as the Pumpkaboo watched in confusion.  
"Don't look at me like that, I'm excited."

He peered out the window for what felt like the hundredth time and practically beamed when he saw the castle in view, buzzing with all the more excitement as the carriage came to a stop at the gates.

He couldn't jump out quickly enough, holding the Pumpkaboo tightly to his chest as he stumbled forward.

"We're here!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok I lied the next chapter will definitely be the ball, I didn't expect this to fill out a whole chapter :')
> 
> I hope you're all still enjoying this, please throw comments my way if possible <3


	10. Masquerade

The ball had erupted into full swing and the castle had filled with guests with more haste than anyone within the castle walls had anticipated.  
Priority had been given to the upper class and royalty from other regions and continents as a whole, yet the guards filtered through each guest without question, checking over their invites quickly and giving them the onceover to weed out any possibility of concealed weapons.

Raihan had regarded the whole scene with nothing more than boredom, shifting uncomfortably in his seat next to the throne as guests flooded into the hall and made haste to present their gifts and well wishes to him.  
He would give them a smile and thanks, but no more than that.  
It was no secret that his father was only interested in finding him a suitable wife or consort, or even both, but the concept in itself made Raihan's skin crawl.

His eyes would often fall on the only entrance to the ballroom when given the chance, and out of habit he tapped the side of his chair impatiently as the numbers of new coming visitors slowly began to dwindle.

" _Where are you..?_ "

Kabu shifted at his side the moment he heard him utter the words, even if he knew the prince had obviously intended to keep them to himself.  
He cleared his throat and cast a meaningful glance down at him, hoping he'd be able to at least read the intent in his expression to spare him his father's scrutiny.

Raihan lazily glanced up at Kabu the moment he heard him clear his throat, sighing and averting his eyes as he rested his elbow on the armrest.

"Why don't you join someone to dance, sire? I'm sure Princess Sonia-" Kabu began.

"I'm not interested in her. And she's not interested in me." He bit back grumpily, glancing up at the door once again in hope.

Kabu followed his gaze and tutted, straightening his posture a little and staring right ahead.  
"If he isn't here by now. Then he probably isn't coming."

Kabu glanced to his other side at the sight of someone else out of the corner of his eye, readying his weapon to abate the intruder until he recognised who it was.

"Opal... Where have you been? You were supposed to be at the opening ceremony." He grumbled, loosening his grip on his sword.

She hummed thoughtfully, not meeting his gaze.  
"Two souls needed a little guiding together." She retorted cryptically, and he didn't bother to dare questioning her odd sentence as he moved aside.

The King finally turned to address his son.  
"You could at least look happier, you look miserable as sin."

Raihan opened his mouth to argue until Opal had cut in.  
"Beg your pardon Your Majesty." She bowed her head a little.  
"I am sure happiness will come to him soon."

Opal was always odd in her interjections, yet nobody ever dared speak ill of her, either.  
The King remained quiet, stroking his beard in thought and simply nodded.  
"If you say so."

Raihan couldn't help but grumble in protest, because he really couldn't see how that was possible, especially as next to no visitors seemed to be showing up anymore.  
"I'm bored." He stated, rising to his feet with the intention of leaving for his room when he heard the doors clatter open with more volume than he had heard previously.

He turned his head towards the sound, decidedly not getting his hopes up until he saw _him_ stumbling in, capturing the attention of everyone in the middle of the floor when the music came to its end.

" _Hop... You got.._ " He swallowed nervously.  
 _Hot_ His brain finished for him.

Opal smiled triumphantly, whispering to herself.  
"And it begins."

"Oh uh, sorry about that." He rubbed at the back of his head nervously and tried to move out of view, rushing down the stairs and pushing himself into the crowd before Rose could see him.  
Even though he had Pumpkaboo at his side, he still held concerns that Rose would somehow see through the illusion.

He made an attempt to move to the other side of the floor as the music started up once more after the interruption, sighing in relief as people eventually moved aside as if parting the way for someone else to get to him.

"Why are you-"  
He glanced up and saw Rai standing there, smiling at him, and he felt his heart suddenly kick into action and race.

"Hey. Long time no see. I like your hat. Even if it's an odd choice for a ball." He grinned.  
"And where is your mask?"  
Leon blinked.  
"Mask?"  
"...Yeah, it's a Masquerade."  
"You don't have one." He pointed out.

He gave up and shook his head in amusement, offering his hand out to him.  
"I can't believe you kept me waiting. May I have this dance?"

If he wasn't blushing before, he certainly was now, he felt his face heat up the moment he uttered the first word to him.  
The eyes trained on him felt all the more confining and suffocating too, somehow, but he tried his best to ignore them as he complied and rested his hand in Rai's.

An unreadable look passed over Raihan's features the moment he looked at Leon's hands, but it was so brief he thought he may well have imagined it.

"Of.. Of course." He replied, squeezing his hand in his own and resting his free hand on his waist, craning his neck a little to meet his gaze.  
" _You've grown_ " He pointed out, and Rai simply laughed before leading him into the first dance. 

Everything that Nessa had taught him had completely escaped him, but he was at least thankful that Rai did the leading, it at least masked his clumsy stumbles around the floor to anyone but him, he was certain he had the timing completely wrong too.

As much as he enjoyed the bonus time he got to spend with him, he was certain he'd never make any attempt to dance again for fear of making a mockery of himself above anything else.

He glanced around at the crowd around them, blushing profusely.  
" _They were watching..._ "  
"Uh huh, that's right. You _are_ outstandingly beautiful, after all."  
Leon shook his head.  
"What's the real re-"  
Realisation suddenly dawned on him as he pieced everything together, and he felt himself unsteady on his feet once more, stumbling forward into him.

"Hey... Are you ok?" Rai asked, brow furrowed in concern as he supported him.  
"Arceus I've been _so_ stupid... Rai.. Raihan.. _You're_ the Prince..."  
He smiled, unable to resist tucking a loose strand of hair behind Leon's ear.  
"You got me. I'm sorry for not saying anything."  
"But that means.. We.. can't.. I can't.."  
" _We_ can do what we like." He reassured, taking his hand and squeezing it gently.

"Let's go somewhere else. I want to show you something."  
Before Leon could argue further, Raihan pulled him gently through the crowds and out of their sight before leading him through a door outside.  
He stopped there and then and pulled off his jacket before draping it over his shoulders.  
"It's pretty cold out here, you can have this." He insisted.

"Rai- I mean- Your Hi-"  
"Please don't start treating me any different... That is... Partly why I didn't want to say anything."

Leon frowned and nodded in understanding, pulling the jacket closer to himself before taking Raihan's hand in his once more.  
"Sorry.."  
He grinned and nuzzled the top of his head, pressing a gentle kiss there.  
"It's alright. Come. It's not far now."

Raihan lead him through what felt like an endless maze until they finally reached an area in the middle of the labyrinth.  
Situated in the middle was what looked to be an old but still functioning swing, surrounding by masses of flowers that Leon had never seen the likes of before.

"Your- Raihan.." He breathed, edging himself towards the swing and carefully sitting himself in it.  
"It's beautiful."  
"I agree, but not as beautiful as you."

Leon blushed as Raihan held the ropes of the swing between his fingers and pulled it back a little to push him, stopping as soon he got high enough to see the stars above.  
"This place is like a memorial to my mother." He explained finally, seating himself next to one of the shrub walls that made the maze.  
"We came here a lot when I was younger, apparently.. I don't really remember, isn't that awful?"  
"Raihan... Of course not. Nobody remembers their entire youth."

He jumped from the swing, falling forward and into the grass before quickly recovering and hobbling over to Raihan's side.  
"Ow.." He complained, shifting as close as physically possible to Raihan and slowly resting his head on his shoulder.

"...Is this ok?" He asked, he couldn't see Raihan's expression from where he was positioned but he didn't hear any noise of complain either.

Silence filled the air, but it was a comfortable silence as they absorbed the atmosphere around them, it was peaceful and it was what they both needed at that point.  
Leon slipped his fingers through Raihan's again and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"I've missed you."  
"I've missed you, too.." He replied.

"I really don't want this to end, what if we never see each other again?"

Raihan shifted himself away from Leon a little, looking at him incredulously.  
"You're stuck with me now I'm afraid."

Leon bit back a laugh, kissing him there and then full on the lips and they held it for as long as physically possible before they had to part for air.  
"Good."

He positioned himself in Raihan's lap and tangled himself in between his limbs, peppering kisses everywhere while they still had the privacy.

"Mm, Hop.."

He stopped himself there, suddenly feeling the mood killed.  
" _Oh._ "  
" _Oh?_ " Raihan echoed, confused.  
"I haven't been completely honest, either. That isn't my name."  
Raihan blinked, letting the confession sink in before he burst out laughing.  
" _Oh, Arceus._ Then what is it?" He asked, wiping away a tear.

Leon opened his mouth to answer when he was interrupted by a clock chiming in the distance.  
Raihan laughed again, and Leon couldn't help but join in, it was infectious after all.

It didn't take long for it to dawn on him that he should be leaving, though.

"I... Have to go."

"What?"

"I'm really sorry, it's been an amazing evening." He added, removing himself from his grip quickly before running full pelt through the maze.

"Wait! You didn't tell me your name!" He scrambled to his feet and followed him as fast as he could.

-

It was a miracle that Leon had even managed to get through the maze, but he didn't dare question it as he kept up the pace in his escape, holding onto Pumpkaboo with one hand as he raced through the castle.

He jumped as he practically tackled someone with the speed and ferocity that he was going at, he was left momentarily stunned at the impact and shook his head in an attempt to ease the stun.  
"S-sorry... I'm just in a hurry-"  
He looked up and met the gaze of who he assumed was the King.  
He bowed quickly in apology.  
"I am so sorry your Majesty I should have been more careful!"  
Even though he was intending to keep up his pace, he decided not to push it any further especially as he would prefer to be living and breathing.

"..You were the boy who was dancing with my son, correct?"

He swallowed nervously, feeling his heart in his throat all of a sudden.  
"..Y-yes." He replied, there was no way a lie would get him out of that one.

He plucked up enough courage to meet his gaze once more.  
"Your Majesty? You have the most wonderful son in the world." He stated, wringing his hand nervously as he waited to be excused.  
His expression remained unreadable for a while, but it eventually broke into a smile.  
"You.. You are very much right. I apologise for keeping you, you do seem to be in a hurry." He remarked, waving Leon off.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He bowed quickly and sprinted down the stairs and through the crowd until he reached the other half of the castle.

The moment he was outdoors, he practically jumped into the orange carriage and urged whoever was driving it (was anyone driving it?) to go at full speed.

As soon as he was well on his way home, although not far, he relaxed and brushed his fingers through his hair, blissfully unaware of the missing article until he finally reached his destination.

He climbed out of the large fruit and regarded it for a while, completely in a trance, it had all felt like a complete dream, and he wouldn't be surprised if he woke up to discover that it was in fact completely fabricated by his brain.

He sighed blissfully and hovered by the house momentarily, raising his head to the sky to stare at the stars dotted around the dark blanket above.  
The moment he saw one flash across the sky, even though he was not superstitious whatsoever, he made a wish.

_I wish to be with you, forever._


	11. Discovered

Even though Raihan had known the castle like the back of his hand, still his mysterious lover managed to evade him for whatever reason, leaving no trace of having ever even been there other than leaving his hat behind in his rush.  
He carefully picked it up and examined it for any possible hints as to where he could have gotten too, only to let out a defeated sigh when he came up empty.  
"Who are you? _Where_ are you?"  
The question was rhetorical but it didn't fall on deaf ears.

Kabu bounded to his side, a fear evident in his eyes.  
"Your Highness, I have been looking for you everywhere-"  
"Not now Kabu." He interrupted, carefully pulling the ill-fitting cap over his head, unable to keep himself for smirking in amusement.  
"I suppose it does have to be roomy to fit all that hair..." He mumbled to himself.  
"Sire?"  
"Kabu." He acknowledged, turning to face his guard finally.  
"I want to leave the castle gates and find him."  
"Out of the question, you know it's dangerous-"  
"Either you go with me or I'll find a way to go alone. He _needs_ me." He huffed.  
Kabu raised an eyebrow, incredulous.  
"I don't know what you mean, Sire."  
"He's.. Not safe there, wherever he lives." He explained.  
"Tonight I noticed his hands were completely scorched, and he always looks like he's worried someone is watching him. He also keeps having to leave abruptly.."  
He shook his head as he listed off each point on his fingers.  
"I have to find him, _please_ , Kabu."

The older man regarded him carefully as he considered his words, he knew full well that once the young prince had set his mind on something, there was no way of dissuading him from following through.  
The pleading look in his eyes was enough to finally sway him, even if he hated the idea of going against his King's wishes.

_Happiness should always come before duty._

Opal had uttered those words to him once and somehow they found their way into the forefront of his mind once again, as odd as the woman could be at times he had to admit that she was right about everything in the long run.

"Alright, I'll take you to search in the town. _Tomorrow_ though, and only when I have prepared everything. And at least dance with Princess Sonia _once._ It's not nice to show someone up like that."

Raihan's face turned a subtle shade of pink at the additional scold at the end of the sentence.  
"Alright, I will..."

-

Rose wasn't particularly enjoying the festivities, but he sought to put on false smiles at passersby and feign the enjoyment for his own personal gains in the long run.  
However things weren't going as smoothly as he intended, his intention was to introduce Nessa to the Prince as soon as he had the chance and they'd hit it off almost immediately.

That was how it played out in his head, even regardless of the rumours that he was to marry Princess Sonia of Motostoke purely to bring the two Kingdoms together.

Yet nobody could have guessed that as soon as one person in particular set foot inside the Ballroom, the Prince's head would be completely turned and he would disappear for the rest of the evening.

He picked up another glass of wine from a nearby tray and scowled across at Nessa as she talked with the so called Princess, maybe if she'd been more alluring none of this would have even happened.  
He didn't even know what was keeping him here anymore, he was sick of the idle conversations that permeated all around him, repetitive, repetitive.

"Who knew that the Prince would have fallen in love already?"

"I know! Can you blame him? That beautiful long hair.."

"I've never seen anyone with _purple_ hair before. And who wears a hat to a Masquerade?" The stranger giggled.

Rose glanced down at the glass in hand, maybe he misheard, but there was _no way_ he'd have been here, and the man who had stolen the Prince's heart definitely didn't have purple hair, or a hat.  
"Must be drunk.." He muttered to himself, placing the glass aside and ignoring the suspicions brewing in his mind as he traipsed over to Nessa, uncaring if he embarassed her in any way.

"You. Go get Bede, it's time we left." He grumbled, prodding her in the arm for good measure to retain her attention before heading over to pick up another glass.

Nessa regarded him as he wobbled over to the table and sighed sadly before meeting Sonia's gaze once more.  
"It was nice to talk to you, we should do this again?"  
"Definitely." The Princess smiled and waved a little as she watched Nessa leave.

-

Leon hadn't predicted that the rain would start to pour not long after making his wish, and even though he wanted to stargaze that little bit longer he had no choice but to bundle himself into the house and dry himself off before the others got home so as not to rouse any sort of suspicions.

As was promised the house was left practically spotless, apart from the trail of mud Leon had lead in on his return from the Masquerade.  
He made quick work of cleaning up the trail he'd unintentionally trampled in and any other evidence of what had transpired before the others had finally returned home.

"Why is your hair soaked?" Bede observed before he'd even set foot into the house, and Leon felt himself freeze at the sudden interrogation, stumbling over his words as he thought of an answer, he really was a bad liar after all but he'd gone too far to tell the truth now.

"I... Decided to go for a walk, clear my head after I cleaned up." He explained, discreetly mopping the cold sweat that formed on his brow.

" _In the rain?_ You're such an idiot, Leon."

"Hehe.. Yeah.. I'll just.. Get on that tea." He replied, grateful for his quick thinking in that respect at least.

He felt the eyes boring into his back as he filled up the pot, but did his best to pay the inquisitive looks no mind as he carried on with their drinks.

He heard the shuffling behind him as everyone took up their respective seats, but the silence other than that felt almost confining and suffocating.  
He licked his lips nervously and decided to brave breaking it.  
"So, how was it?" He asked simply, glancing back at the three briefly before returning to making the tea.

"Eh, it was kinda boring." Bede chipped in, leaning back on his chair and swinging it a little as he waited for the other's answers.  
"I had fun." Nessa added simply.

Leon felt his blood run cold the moment Rose spoke up about it, even if he was obviously leaving details out too.  
"It was a waste of time. Looks like the Prince is just going to marry the Princess of Motostoke after all."

He flinched at that, but tried to keep himself calm all the same, he knew Rose was trying to get some kind of reaction out of him once more.

"Ah. I see." He replied simply, unable to waste time on the drinks anymore, he turned with a smile to them all and placed the drinks down one by one.

Bede chimed in with his own account just as Leon turned once more to feign cleaning up the kitchen for want of anything better to do as a distraction.

"I don't know, it looks like he was interested in that guy that walked in. Couldn't take his eyes off him. And he was the only one he danced with, too. It was kind of annoying."

Leon tried to hold back laughter at Bede's obvious jealousy, but he couldn't resist bursting into a brief laughter, only to stop himself with a cough in an attempt to disguise his amusement.  
"Sorry..." He apologised, turning to face the three.

Rose glared in Leon's direction the moment he made eyecontact, and he felt the blood drain from him yet again as the nerves got the better of him.  
"Yes.. It really is a shame."

"Yeah.." Leon replied halfheartedly.

"So." Rose began after a while of silence, rising to his feet behind him.  
"Where did your hat get to, Leon?"

His hand automatically shot to his hair, and he tousled it for good measure in search of his hat, only to find nothing there.  
"I.. must have lost it." He explained, swallowing nervously as he felt Rose approach him and grab his shoulder roughly, leaning into him and dropping his voice to a whisper.

" _You were there, weren't you?_ "

"I-I-I don't know what you mean, sir.."

"Do you have designs on the Prince? Want to take his money??"

"No! Of course I don't!"

"Then why are you after him you little rat?!"

The pressure and the frustration was building and before Leon had even realised it, he shoved Rose aside and watched with horror as he tumbled to the ground.

"S-sir! I-" He rushed to help him up.  
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"You ungrateful little-"

Rose reached up and twisted his hand in Leon's hair as he climbed to his feet, ignoring his cries and sobs of protest, ignoring Nessa pleading for him to stop.  
He dragged him all the way up the stairs as slowly as possible to prolong his suffering before throwing him into the room.

"You'll never see your precious Prince again as far as I'm concerned." He spat.

Leon scrambled to his feet and ran to the door in desperation before Rose closed it on him and locked it swiftly.

"No! Please!" He begged, sobbing and distraught as he pounded at the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay and sorry if this chapter is a bit all over the place I wasn't sure how to go about throwing different points of view in one chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

Hey I'm sorry for leaving this unwritten for so long and kinda leaving it on a cliffhanger, I kind of lost my groove with the way the year has played out.

I will try and get on more chapters soon if you're all interested in reading more <3

This is just a placeholder for now so you at least know I haven't abandoned it, I'll delete this later and add a new chapter if you'd like to read more. Just let me know in the comments c:


End file.
